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Sunday, 4 May 2014

Sneak peek at Dohas new Hamad International Airport

Built at a cost of
S$21 billion, the state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport in Doha
is due to open later this year and will replace the current Doha
International as Qatar's only international airport. The new airport has
taken nearly nine years to build. The sprawling 29,000 sq km facility
is 1/3 the entire size of Doha itself and built almost entirely on
reclaimed land. Flagship carrier Qatar Airways is set to operate out of
the new terminal from the start of June 2014.

Built at a cost of S$21 billion,
the state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport in Doha is due to open
later this year and will replace the current Doha International as
Qatar's only international airport. The sprawling 29,000 sq km facility
is 1/3 the entire size of Doha itself and built almost entirely on
reclaimed land. Flagship carrier Qatar Airways is set to operate out of
the new terminal from the start of June 2014.

Designed by the Bechtel Group,
the new airport has taken almost nine years to build. It is expected to
handle 50 million travelers in 2016 -- 85% of whom will be transit
passengers. Designed with an "oasis in the desert" theme, many of the
buildings and main terminal uses water motifs, with wave-style roofs and
desert plants, and also plenty of natural lighting and recycled water.

Yes, that is a teddy bear
sitting right in the centre of the transit lounges. The giant plush toy
comes right out of the personal toy collection of Qatar's ruling
Al-Thani royal family. With the majority of passengers being in transit
in between flights, the Hamad airport comes equipped with an onsite
hotel, swimming pool, a public mosque, large duty-free and retail space
and dedicated rest and play areas to rest and recharged tired minds and
bodies.

Qatar Airways is the operator of
the airport and main customer, and the fast-rising airline will have
dedicated VIP check-in channels. The new airport is designed to become a
major international hub for the Middle East and will set a new standard
in airline efficiency, service and passenger convenience.

The massive new airport in the
Qatari capital has started handling its first commercial flights after
years of delays as the natural-gas rich Gulf nation works to transform
itself into a major aviation hub.

The departure terminal at the
sprawling airport features wide walkways for easy commuting and is also
equipped with passenger loading trains for quick transits in between
gates. The airport will also be able to handle the super jumbo Airbus
A380s, which required dedicated loading/unloading bridges.

Gulf nation works to transform itself into a major aviation hub.

A general view of the empty main
terminal building of the Hamad International Airport which opened on
Wednesday, April 30, 2014, in Doha, Qatar.